Costa Rican Couple Take Crown in World Open Salsa Championship

The winning couple pose with the Costa Rica flag after winning the title, on July 26, 2017, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. | Photo: EFE

Q COSTA RICA – David Cruz Vargas and Muriel Nicole Lowis Ortega from Costa Rica have won the World Salsa Open Championship in Puerto Rico beating 700 dancers from all over the world.

Hosted in San Juan, eight professional couples took to the stage to highlight their talents.

The competition challenged the sixteen dancers to perform a freestyle number to the rhythm of “Plante Bandera” and a live version of “The Orchestra Without Name.”

Idalines Medina and Obrian Hernández from the host nation Puerto Rico secured second place, followed by Colombian dancers Evelin Laurido and Juan Carlos Beusaquillo in third.

For individual placings, Canadian Mario Acosta Cevellos took first for the male dancers, while Idalines Medina triumphed again in the women’s category, taking the top place for the second consecutive year.

“We have exceeded all expectations both in the artistic part and in the global dissemination of the event,” said Elí Irizarry, founder and creator of the World Salsa Congress.

The dance event ends on Saturday, July 29, 2017, with orchestral and singing performances.

The World Salsa Open is an international salsa competition held every year at the Puerto Rico Salsa Congress. The first competition was held in 2002, and the competition draws a large attendance of competitors from South America.